The fine line between Joy and despair

It has been a rough year for the family. Struggling with the pain of losing my mom's mother last year, having good friends with a sick child, knowing friends at church who's child is in heart surgery right now after being born 3 days ago.... life is hard.

But there is one picture that I do not like to see. May3,2005, I was at the hospital with my mom waiting for Julie to deliver Noah. A normal day and occasion for our family, that turned out to be anything but normal. But in the moments of excitement, I captured the following picture. Yet, the picture I have embedded in my head of that day, is one of me standing at the window in the hallway, with my arm wrapped around my mother, pleading for the healing and well-being of our new family member. The picture of pain seems to be bigger and more evident than the last moment of joy I saw on my moms face. And it hurts.